Indoor-outdoor golf game device

ABSTRACT

An indoor-outdoor golf game device having a golf cup portion of the type having upwardly and inwardly inclining surface portions for guiding balls into its main opening, the cup being shaped for nesting with like cups for ease of storage in the home when not in use. A flag and flag post assembly adapted to fit through the cup portion and an adapter receivable in a recess in the cup portion for securing the flag post thereto when the device is used indoors.

[ Mar. 19, 1974 [mite States Patent [1 1 Rokusek INDOOR-OUTDOOR GOLF GAME DEVICE 1,893,402 l/l933 Ehrlich 273/180 2,121,270 Streich.............. 3,067,717

Imparato.....

[22] Filed:

[21] AppL NO; 296 219 Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hiram A. Sturges Related US. Application Data ABSTRACT [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 83.144, Oct. 22. 1970,

abandoned.

An indoor-outdoor golf game device having a golf cup portion of the type having upwardly and inwardly inclining surface portions for guiding balls into its main [58] Field of Search 273/177, 178, 179, 180,

opening, the cup being shaped for nesting with like 273/127, 34, 136 D cups for ease of storage in the home when not in use.

[56] References Cited A flag and flag post assembly adapted to tit through the cup portion and an adapter receivable in a recess UNITED STATES PATENTS in the cup portion for securing the flag post thereto when the device is used indoors.

DRR 644 mm 33 N77 722 r e e hm plm et o TMH 09 0 2 999 111 238 PATENTEDHARIB m4 v INVENTOR.

' CLAIR-.EZROKUSEK INDOOR-OUTDOOR GOLF GAME DEVICE This is a continuation, Ser. No. 83,144, filed Oct. 22, 1970, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is in the field of portable golf game devices having ball-receiving cups and flag post assemblies.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In the prior art portable game devices have been either of a type basically for use indoors and not useable in a grassy area, or else they have been of a second type designated for use in a grassy area only.

Although the cup portion of some of the types designed for use in grassy areas only have also been useable indoors, yet the entire device, including cup and flag pole assembly have not been adapted for use indoors.

The reason for this has been that it has been mistakenly thought necessary that a flag pole receive its support by sticking into the ground by extending through the cup. This way of thinking has had some validity because it is necessary that the cup portion be made of very thin material of uniform thickness in order to be adapted to manufacture in the form of either being stamped out of sheet metal or of being formed of molded plastic material. In either of these forms, the material itself is thin for purposes of economy and a fiag pole inserted through a hole in the material, but not otherwise supported would tend lay over to one side in a droopy fashion.

Yet, it is important that a flag pole stand erect.

To make a flag pole stand erect by means of an engagement of a thick portion of the cup with the sides of the flag pole leads to an expensive form of cup construction which is not adapted to use outdoors in the grass. I

It is important that a cup be pressed down into the grass firmly so that its outer edges cannot be struck by a ball and so that the ball will tend to hit only the upwardly inclining portion of the top so as to roll freely up into the main ball opening instead of bumping the outer edge of the cup and bouncing back.

It has been proposed that a flag pole be provided with a flange for engaging the top of the cup portion in order to press it down into the grass as the bottom of the flag pole firmly holds it there by being buried in the dirt. This prior art construction had its disadvantage, however, in that the flag pole involved was not adapted to be used with the cup indoors where the flag pole could not be pressed down through the floor.

A flag pole can be pressed into the ground easily, but cannot be pressed into the floor. And so the solution to this problem is part of what is necessary to make a practical indoor-outdoor golf game device.

The prior art patent which proposes a flange on the post for pressing the cup device down into the grass lacks another important feature which is the provision of a deep ball-receiving main opening. It is important that the ball-receiving main opening be sufficiently deep as to substantially catch and retain a ball that is moving across the hole at a substantial speed, so as to best make the game realistic.

The only cup device of the prior art which had the possibility of nesting lacked any provision for its use in- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An indoor-outdoor golf game device having a golf cup portion of the type having upwardly and inwardly inclining ramp surface portions for guiding balls into its main ball opening, and having a central ball receiving section having bottom and side wall portions, the bottom wall portion having an imaginary axis extending therethrough at its center at a right angle to the plane of the underside of the outermost edge of the ramp portion, the cup having no portion parallel to the axis, that side of the annular side wall portion of the main ballreceiving opening which faces the axis being inclined from a lower end closer to the axis to an upper end farther from the axis, that side of the annular side wall of said main ball opening which faces away from the axis being inclined from a lower end closer to the axis to an upper end farther from the axis whereby a cup of the ramp-type is thereby formed which will substantially nest between and lapping with a pair of like cups for making possible ease of storage in a compact space in the home.

The cup described in which the body portion has an adapter-receiving notch means therein, which latter can be defined by the ball-receiving main opening, an adapter of a size and shape for fitting tightly into and being held by the adapter-receiving notch means being disposed in said notch means, the adapter having a flag pole receiving recess therein for supporting a flag pole, a flag pole received in the flag pole recess and extending upwardly therefrom.

The bottom wall having a flag pole aperture therethrough so that the flag pole can extend down into the ground, and shoulder means being provided on the flag pole for engaging the upper side of the bottom wall when the lowermost end of the flag pole is frictionally engaged with the soil so as to hold the body portion of the golf cup down into the grass to a substantial extent so that the ball will tend to hit its inclined ramp surface;

The combination described in which the adapterreceiving notch means is in the underside of the bottom wall, and in which the notch means is larger at its bottom end than at its top end for accomplishing a wedging fit.

The flag being formed of firm material and being attached to the top of the flag pole by means of having a hole in the flag adjacent its pole side and extending vertically, the hole being substantially closed at its upper side for engaging the upper side of the flag pole whereby with the flag loosely fitting the flag pole, it can blow in the wind and yet will not slide down the flag pole, whereby a simple method of attaching a flag is economically provided and whereby motion can be accomplished in the wind without the flag having to be of a cloth type which would tend to droop when there was no wind. 4 I

The total vertical thickness of the cup assembly at points adjacent to the flag pole is greater than most of the other parts of the cup assembly and also most of the body portion of the assembly is of the same vertical thickness, and most of the under side of the body portion is concave and substantially recessed for conserving material cost and providing strength where it is needed at the flag pole recess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the indoor-outdoor golf game device of this invention, a portion of a flag thereof being broken away and a portion of the flag being shown in section, certain other parts being shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of only a central portion of the lower part of the golf game device of this invention with the forward half being removed and the remainder shown in section, golf balls being shown therein in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing three of the golf cups of this inventions in a nested relationship with one another, but with the cup shown in side elevation and with their forward halves removed whereby they are shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of an adapter of this invention, a flag pole supporting well in the adapter being shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the adapter of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The indoor-outdoor golf game device of this invention is generally indicated at in FIG. 1 and comprises a golf cup generally indicated at 12 having a body portion 14 having a central ball-receiving section generally indicated at having an annular side wall 22 surrounding and defining a main ball-receiving opening 24.

The body portion 14 further has a peripheral annular ramp portion surrounding the side wall portion 22 and the ramp portion 30 has an outermost edge portion 34 provided with an underside arranged on a plane for engaging the flat surface of a floor of a home, not shown.

The body portion 14 has its inner annular side wall 22 attached at its upper end to the circular inner end of the ramp portion 30.

The body portion 14 further has a bottom wall portion 40 connected to the side wall portion 22 around its circular outer edge 44.

The side wall portion 22 and the bottom wall portion 40 are free of any portion extending at exactly a right angle with respect to a plane, which is a horizontal plane, defined by the lowermost portion of the outermost parts of the ramp portion 30.

The bottom wall portion 40 has an imaginary axis extending therethrough at its center, as its center would be seen in top view, and the axis 50 is disposed at a right angle to the plane defined by the annular lowermost edge 34 of the ramp portion 30.

The cup 12 has no portion parallel to the axis 50 for making nesting with other cups possible as seen in FIG. 3, in which a plurality of the cups 12 are shown one above another in overlapping relationship with respective to each other.

That side of the annular wall portion or side wall 22 which faces the axis 50 can be considered the outer side of the side wall 22 and is inclined from a lower end closer to the axis 50 to an upper end farther from the axis 50. That side of the annular side wall 22 which faces away from the axis 50 is inclined from a lower end closer to the axis 50 to an upper end farther from the axis 50, whereby a cup having a ramp thereby being of the ramp-type is described which will substantially nest in lapping relationship between a pair of like cups as shown in FIG. 3.

At an ideal, one can say that a group of the cups, such as is shown in FIG. 3, have all parts thereof parallel to corresponding parts of the lapping cups. The body portion 14 is provided with an adapter-receiving notch in the underside of its bottom wall 40 and the notch 70 is made possible by providing the bottom wall 40 with an upwardly offset portion 72. Since it is desired that the entire cup be formed of a material of the same thickness so that the ramp portion 30, the annular side wall portion 22, the bottom wall 40 including its upwardly offset portion 72, are all of the same thickness so that they can be easily formed either by plastic molding of material that flows when it is hot and is firm when it is cold, or else formed of a single piece of sheet metal, although the plastic molding is believed superior.

An adapter generally indicated at of frustroconical shape is shown in FIGS. 2, 4,-and 5, and tightly and'snugly fits in a similarly shaped underside of the offset portion 72 of the bottom wall 40 in a removable fashion so that at times when the adapter is removed, the nesting shown in FIG. 3 can be done.

The adapter 80 has a flag pole receiving recess 82 therein for receiving a flag pole 90, which latter cannot extend completely through the adapter 80 because the bottom wall of the recess 82 is closed to protect a floor surface of a home from abrasion by the lower end of the flag pole 90.

The bottom wall 40 has a flag pole aperture 94 extending vertically therethrough and receiving the flag pole therethrough.

Since the notch means 70 is larger at its bottom end than at its top end, and the same is also true of the adapter 80, the adapter can be removed whenever it is desired to use the cup in the out-of-doors in order that the flag pole 90 can be caused to extend down through the cup completely so as to extend a substantial distance into the soil for substantial frictional engagement with the soil so that when the flag pole is pressed down with the shoulder means thereon firmly engaging the upper side of the offset portion 72 of the bottom wall 40, then the cup will tend to be held down in the grass for pushing down on the grass 102 so as to prevent a golf ball from striking the outermost edge of the ramp portion 30 whereby the golf ball will tend to strike the inclined upper surface thereof as is desired for directing it toward the main golf ball receiving opening 24.

The shoulder 110 can be formed in many ways and one way is to provide the flag pole 90 itself with an offset portion 112, the bottom of which forms the shoulder 110. In general, however, the flag pole 90 extend vertically upward.

At the top of the flag pole a flag of thin plastic materialis provided which has a hole 132 along one vertical side of the flag 130 and opening downwardly and receiving therein an upper portion of the flag pole 90. The hole 132 is substantially closed on its upper side, or in a sense on its upper end, for engaging the upper end of the flag pole 90 so as to prevent the flag from sliding vertically down the pole by gravity. The prevention of the vertical sliding of the flag could also be done by providing an offset portion 134 just beneath the flag 130 and for engaging the underside of the flag, but it is believed more attractive and less expensive and more workable to simply have the upper end of the hole 132 closed.

As thus described, with the hole 132 loosely fitting in the flag pole, the flag 130 can whip about in the wind in a very attractive fashion.

When there is no wind, the flag 130 will not droop because it is made of firm material.

Making the flag 130 of firm material is also of advantage in playing the game indoors where there is no wind because a cloth flag would droop instead of standing out in an attractive manner.

As thus described it will be seen that a truly effective golf game is provided which can be played indoors without scratching the floor with the lower end of the flag pole. And yet, the same game by simple removal of the adapter 80 can be played outside with the cups firmly held down into the grass by the friction of the flag pole in the soil, whereby a truly effective golf game for both indoor and outdoor use is provided.

I claim:

1. A golf cup assembly comprising a body portion having a bottom which is adapted to rest on a flat playing surface and having a top, the body portion having a substantially central ball-entrapping opening means as seen from above said top, said ball-receiving entrapping opening means being of a size for receiving at least a substantial portion of a substantially conventionally sized golf ball, said body portion further having an annular gradually upwardly inclining ramp portion surrounding said ball-entrapping opening means, and said body portion having an outermost edge portion provided with an underside having its lowermost portions arranged on a plane for engaging the flat surface of a floor, an upright flag pole extending through the top of said body portion, an adapter held by said body portion for facilitating flag pole mounting when said cup assembly is used above a hard surface, said adapter having a recess wall means defining an upwardly-opening flag pole receiving recess, said adapter recess wall means surrounding and supporting said flag pole, said flag pole and adapter forming a flag pole and adapter assembly, said body portion engaging said flag pole and adapter assembly in a manner for maintaining said flag pole upright when said golf cup assembly is resting on a horizontal surface, said adapter permitting a substantial portion of said substantially conventionally sized golf ball to be received in said ball-entrapping opening means for permitting the entrapment of such a ball, said ramp portion being substantially continuous so that balls can roll up said ramp with minimum impediment.

2. The golf cup assembly of claim l in which said bottom wall has an annular lowest portion having in its center an upwardly extending portion which latter is spaced from the upper side surfaces of said ballentrapping opening means sufficiently to permit entrapment of said ball therebetween, said bottom wall upwardly extending portion having an adapterreceiving surface means therein defining an adapterreceiving notch, said adapter fitting tightly into and being held by the walls of said adapter-receiving notch.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said bottom wall has said adapter-receiving notch in its underside.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said notch is larger at its bottom end than at its top end.

5. The combination of claim 2 in which said body portion has a shape such that when other parts of said assembly are removed said body portion will nest under and lapping with a like body portion disposed thereabove, said adapter being removably received in said notch so that it can be removed for facilitating nesting of said body portion with other like body portions.

6. The combination of claim 1 in which a flag is attached to the top of said pole, said flag being of material sufficiently firm as holds its shape when there is no wind rather than droop, said flag having a flag pole side, a hole in said flag adjacent its pole side and extending vertically, said flag receiving the upper end of said flag pole.

7. The combination of claim 6 in which said hole is substantially closed on its upper side for engaging the upper side of said flag pole.

8. The combination of claim 6 in which the wall of said flag pole hole loosely receives said flag pole so that said flag can swing around said flag pole in response to changes in the direction of the wind.

9. The assembly of claim 1 in which said flag pole extends through the upper part of said ball-receiving body opening, and said adapter being removably held by said body portion.

10. The cup assembly of claim 1 in which said body portion has a flag pole opening extending vertically therethrough and has a bottom wall portion the majority of which is disposed beneath said ball-entrapping opening means, said bottom wall portion having a flag post aperture extending vertically therethrough, said flag post being extendable through said flag post aperture, said flag pole having means thereon providing a shoulder and spaced sufficiently from the lower end thereof as to permit said shoulder to engage the upper side of said bottom wall when the lowermost end of said flag pole projects through the underside of said body sufficiently for substantial frictional engagement with soil to hold said body down into grass after adapter removal.

ill. The golf cup assembly of claim 1 further comprising: the upper surface of said cup portion being substantially continuous for the substantially smooth travel of a ball thereacross from said ball-entrapping opening means out to and including said ramp portion.

12. A golf cup and flag assembly comprising a golf cup assembly comprising a body portion having a bottom which is adapted to rest on a flat playing surface, the body portion having a substantially central ballentrapping opening means as seen from above said body portion, said body portion having a center as seen from its top side, said ball-entrapping opening means being of a size for receiving a sufficient portion of a substantially conventionally sized golf ball for entrapping such a ball as it passes across an outer edge of said ball-entrapping opening means toward said center, said body portion further having an annular gradually upwardly inclining annular ramp portion surrounding said ball-entrapping opening means, and said body portion having an outermost peripheral edge section provided with an underside having its lowermost portions arranged on a plane for engaging the flat surface of a floor, said body portion having an imaginary vertical axis extending therethrough at a center of the area of said body portion as seen from its upper side, said golf cup assembly having a flag pole receiving opening means extending downwardly thereinto from the upper side of said golf cup assembly, said flag pole opening means having walls at a right angle to said plane, a straight flag pole removably disposed in said flag pole receiving opening means, a flag on said pole, said flag pole receiving opening means having walls engaging.

said flag pole on parts of said pole sufficiently vertically spaced apart and on sufficient sides of said pole as to hold said pole in a position such that the length of said straight pole is at a right angle to said plane, said ball entrapping opening means being of annular shape in top plan view and surrounding said flag pole whereby said flag pole assists a player in aiming at said ball entrapping opening means, the total vertical thickness of said cup assembly at points adjacent to and on a plurality of sides of said flag pole being greater than the vertical thickness of most of the other parts of said cup assembly when said cup is in a position for use with its bottom downward, most of the underside of said body portion being concave and substantially recessed for conserving material cost and providing strength.

13. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said golf cup assembly supporting said flag pole against the force of gravity.

14. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said golf cup member being so constructed as to nest to a substantial extent with another like golf cup member to simplify storage between uses.

15. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said cup having a central portion which protrudes upwardly beyond surrounding portions thereof, said flag receiving opening means being in said central portion.

16. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said golf cup assembly supporting said flag pole against the force of gravity, most of the ramp portion area of said cup being of substantially a single vertical thickness. 

1. A golf cup assembly comprising a body portion having a bottom which is adapted to rest on a flat playing surface and having a top, the body portion having a substantially central ballentrapping opening means as seen from above said top, said ballreceiving entrapping opening means being of a size for receiving at least a substantial portion of a substantially conventionally sized golf ball, said body portion further having an annular gradually upwardly inclining ramp portion surrounding said ballentrapping opening means, and said body portion having an outermost edge portion provided with an underside having its lowermost portions arranged on a plane for engaging the flat surface of a floor, an upright flag pole extending through the top of said body portion, an adapter held by said body portion for facilitating flag pole mounting when said cup assembly is used above a hard surface, said adapter having a recess wall means defining an upwardly-opening flag pole receiving recess, said adapter recess wall means surrounding and supporting said flag pole, said flag pole and adapter forming a flag pole and adapter assembly, said body portion engaging said flag pole and adapter assembly in a manner for maintaining said flag pole upright when said golf cup assembly is resting on a horizontal surface, said adapter permitting a substantial portion of said substantially conventionally sized golf ball to be received in said ball-entrapping opening means for permitting the entrapment of such a ball, said ramp portion being substantially continuous so that balls can roll up said ramp with minimum impediment.
 2. The golf cup assembly of claim 1 in which said bottom wall has an annular lowest portion having in its center an upwardly extending portion which latter is spaced from the upper side surfaces of said ball-entrapping opening means sufficiently to permit entrapment of said ball therebetween, said bottom wall upwardly extending portion having an adapter-receiving surface means therein defining an adapter-receiving notch, said adapter fitting tightly into and being held by the walls of said adapter-receiving notch.
 3. The combination of claim 2 in which said bottom wall has said adapter-receiving notch in its underside.
 4. The combination of claim 3 in which said notch is larger at its bottom end than at its top end.
 5. The combination of claim 2 in which said body portion has a shape such that when other parts of said assembly are removed said body portion will nest under and lapping with a like body portion disposed thereabove, said adapter being removably received in said notch so that it can be removed for facilitating nesting of said body portion with other like body portions.
 6. The combination of claim 1 in which a flag is attached to the top of said pole, said flag being of material sufficiently firm as holds its shape when there is no wind rather than droop, said flag having a flag pole side, a hole in said flag adjacent its pole side and extending vertically, said flag receiving the upper end of said flag pole.
 7. The combination of claim 6 in which said hole is substantially closed on its upper side for engaging the upper side of said flag pole.
 8. The combination of claim 6 in which the wall of said flag pole hole loosely receives said flag pole so that said flag can swing around said flag pole in response to changes in the direction of the wind.
 9. The assembly of claim 1 in which said flag pole extends through the upper part of said ball-receiving body opening, and said adapter being removably held by said body portion.
 10. The cup assembly of claim 1 in which said body portion has a flag pole opening extending vertically therethrough and has a bottom wall portion the majority of which is disposed beneath said ball-entrapping opening means, said bottom wall portion having a flag post aperture extending vertically therethrough, said flag post being extendable through said flag post aperture, said flag pole having means thereon providing a shoulder and spaced sufficiently from the lower end thereof as to permit said shoulder to engage the upper side of said bottom wall when the lowermost end of said flag pole projects through the underside of said body sufficiently for substantial frictional engagement with soil to hold said body down into grass after adapter removal.
 11. The golf cup assembly of claim 1 further comprising: the upper surface of said cup portion being substantially continuous for the substantially smooth travel of a ball thereacross from said ball-entrapping opening means out to and including said ramp portion.
 12. A golf cup and flag assembly comprising a golf cup assembly comprising a body portion having a bottom which is adapted to rest on a flat playing surface, the body portion having a substaNtially central ball-entrapping opening means as seen from above said body portion, said body portion having a center as seen from its top side, said ball-entrapping opening means being of a size for receiving a sufficient portion of a substantially conventionally sized golf ball for entrapping such a ball as it passes across an outer edge of said ball-entrapping opening means toward said center, said body portion further having an annular gradually upwardly inclining annular ramp portion surrounding said ball-entrapping opening means, and said body portion having an outermost peripheral edge section provided with an underside having its lowermost portions arranged on a plane for engaging the flat surface of a floor, said body portion having an imaginary vertical axis extending therethrough at a center of the area of said body portion as seen from its upper side, said golf cup assembly having a flag pole receiving opening means extending downwardly thereinto from the upper side of said golf cup assembly, said flag pole opening means having walls at a right angle to said plane, a straight flag pole removably disposed in said flag pole receiving opening means, a flag on said pole, said flag pole receiving opening means having walls engaging said flag pole on parts of said pole sufficiently vertically spaced apart and on sufficient sides of said pole as to hold said pole in a position such that the length of said straight pole is at a right angle to said plane, said ball entrapping opening means being of annular shape in top plan view and surrounding said flag pole whereby said flag pole assists a player in aiming at said ball entrapping opening means, the total vertical thickness of said cup assembly at points adjacent to and on a plurality of sides of said flag pole being greater than the vertical thickness of most of the other parts of said cup assembly when said cup is in a position for use with its bottom downward, most of the underside of said body portion being concave and substantially recessed for conserving material cost and providing strength.
 13. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said golf cup assembly supporting said flag pole against the force of gravity.
 14. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said golf cup member being so constructed as to nest to a substantial extent with another like golf cup member to simplify storage between uses.
 15. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said cup having a central portion which protrudes upwardly beyond surrounding portions thereof, said flag receiving opening means being in said central portion.
 16. The golf cup and flag assembly of claim 12 further comprising said golf cup assembly supporting said flag pole against the force of gravity, most of the ramp portion area of said cup being of substantially a single vertical thickness. 